That’s not tinnitus that you can hear – no, it’s the sound of Watch Dogs hitting store shelves. The build up to Ubisoft’s latest sandbox smash has been more drawn out than the last note in Thunderball, but the open world adventure is finally set to phone home – your home, to be precise. While we haven’t had enough time with the game to deliver our verdict yet, we’ve compiled a handful of the better release day reviews below. We’ll also be bringing you some first impressions later today, along with various features and articles throughout the week. And if you’re happy to hold, our appraisal should be with you shortly.

At this point, I don’t really know what more I can say. Watch_Dogs is a landmark, benchmark, must-buy game. It’s a challenging, rewarding, adrenaline pumping, utterly compelling spectacle that absolutely delivers on the sandbox premise by giving you a really interesting set of tools that you can use in whatever way you see fit to solve inventive, creative and exciting missions and objectives. This is the next generation I’ve been looking for.

Watch Dogs is smart, punchy, HBO-boxset-worthy storytelling spun together with solid stealth, responsive gunplay and voyeuristic power fantasy. It isn't perfect, and it isn't the graphical supermodel that Ubisoft showed at the game's announcement. But as the 'next-gen' poster child we were promised, Watch Dogs delivers and then some.

Watch Dogs is a lushly produced and riotous game with an uncanny ability to push you from one task to the next, each of which is just as fun as the last. This version of Chicago is crawling with a hyperbolic number of degenerates, and I didn't mind squashing pyromaniacs and slavers under my tires as I plowed through the streets chasing after a hacker, hip-hop beats blasting from the radio. After all, the struggling mothers and homeless beggars wandering Chicago deserve some peace of mind, and doling out some street justice is a good first step.

Watch Dogs’ basic premise is one of its strongest hooks, all old-school noir conventions and private eye posturing with a post-NSA whistleblower twist. But after a promising (albeit well-trod) start, Watch Dogs’ plot struggles to remain coherent. The writing has Aiden’s flaws covered, but it never finds a way to make him relatable beyond a dead niece and a family in trouble. Ubisoft Montreal also introduces so many "big bads" that it’s hard to know who the real villain is.

Watch Dogs doesn't have that promising kernel. It certainly entertains, but mostly through borrowed concepts, and the central notion that could have made it stand out - the hacking - is the most undercooked of all. It doesn't get anything horribly wrong, but nor does it excel at any of the genre beats it so faithfully bangs out. It's good, and yet that always feels like a criticism when a game comes weighed down by this much hype. You won't regret the time you spend in Aiden Pearce's world, but nor will it be saved as a precious memory when you reboot.

Have you started to download your digital copy of Watch Dogs yet? Are you waiting for the mailman to deliver your physical version via snail mail? What are your first impressions of the game? Upload your thoughts in the comments section below.

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User Comments (28)

After my digital preorder puked back at me (meaning that it wouldn't take money from my wallet and let me play the game even though I installed it and all) I just am downloading the "regular" deluxe version of this as we speak. Can't wait to finally play it.

@get2sammyb Aye, it was the same back when Titanfall launched. There's no conspiracy, but I can't help but roll my eyes at some AAA reviews these days. When it comes to the big games, I tend to look for the middle-ground review, like the 8/10 ones here and read those. The high scores are just gushers with little negativity pointed out & the low scores seem to be people being clever for click-bait. I don't have much time for games between reviews (Still haven't gotten around to Infamous SS yet ) so I'll be leaving Watchdogs for a while anyway as I've gone with Wolfensten for the time being

@tenderbeefcake watchdogs is a lot of fun and will keep you busy. If it's a fantasy game you are after look out for shadow of mmordor due October. That's the game I'm most looking forward to now watchdogs is here

I have been playing this since yesterday and I'm having a blast. The graphics sadly are a little bit underwhelming if compared to the target render from E3 2012, but the game itself is excellent, it seems. Lots to do, good dialogues, excellent voice talent and so much to do. A very well done open world game.

So I manage to kinda ignore the "bad" graphics and simply enjoy the ride. And that's what it should all be about, in the end, right? I think other than inFAMOUS, I haven't enjoyed a game this much on PS4 yet. Lots of potential and one hell of a taste for the inevitable sequel. Well done, Ubi!

Hell, I am even tempted to buy the season pass because I got hte game dirt cheap. I have 20,- bucks sitting in my PSN account I was saving for Helldivers and/or Resogun-DLC, but I might just take the plunge because it would mean...well...moar Watch_Dogs.

Sounds like it is what GTA could be. More complex and interesting to play albeit less ridiculous fun and over-the-top violence. Really looking forward to playing this now. It could be the kind of game I've been longing for since my love-in with shenmue. Depending on the pushsquare review I may have to ignore my backlog and splash the cash.

@SimonAdebisi Cool thing is, that while Watch_Dogs is indeed very serious in nature and much less crazy and over the top than GTA, you can take "Digital Trips", which are basically psychedelic drug trips...this starts one of four (five, if you have the season pass) side games, where you can go absolutely crazy, since it's not in the "real world", but only a hallucination. So you can for example mow down zombies in a Death Race inspired Mad Maxian car or wreck havock in a Ghost in the Shell-inspired Spider Tank. It's absolutely over the top and by this, you actually get the best of both worlds.

@SimonAdebisi Sorry I helped to blow you wallet, sir, but this game is awesome. I have only played 3 story missions or so and already sunk over 4 hours in side missions alone. As cautiously as I normally am about hyped games, this game rocks...hard.

I have stuff to do and just can't get myself to leave the PS4, because I have to play more.

Edit: Might fire up a 720p Twitch-stream later on, if you care to have a look at the game. My PSN-id is Reverend_Skeeve

Ugh my stupid Amazon preorder hasn't arrived. I could have not and just gone to GameStop. What's the point?!?!? Guide comes Wed too, so big fat bummer of Memorial Day weekend!!! At least people don't absolutely hate it